A story for the ages

There are very few boring days in volunteering. oh sure, there are a few, but they are few and far between. More often than not the whole unpredictability of it makes it fascinating and fun.

Take today for instance:

The work day started boringly enough as we got to a home that we were supposed to finish bleaching and gut the back garage and haul some appliances to the road. Not a problem in the least except that electricians were already there and there was no way we were going to get in their way, so bleaching was off.

So we had too many people for the job. Fortunately the group from Indiana was working across the street so we went to see if they needed help. There house was really big so the coolest of the cool team went to help.

It turned into one of the best gutting jobs we have had here. The Indiana crew was excellent and together we flew. From Kitchen, to living room, to garage, to bathroom.

In the afternoon our team changed jobs and went to cut a large tree off of a house. We got there and almost at once we were met by a neighbor who was very opposed to us cutting the tree. Complicating matters a bit was the fact that it was her tree that had fallen on the house and deck.

Now we had been warned abiout this woman. Jerry had said it and even the post woman had told us. BUT nothing could prepare you for her. She told us we were angering God, that we were doing the Devil's work, and just about everything else one could imagine.

The next thing I new the police were there and after explaining she did in fact need help, said we could go on cutting. About 30 seconds later that was put on hold as she wanted to buy the tree; for $2000.

Stop. Seriously stop. This is a transaction that should not have been allowed to go through. the tree was not worth $2000, ESPECIALLY when it was going to be in firewood sized pieces. I actually told the police officer that there was not a court in the land that would allow the contract to stand if in fact it was questioned. She was not sane and rational at the time.

But transact they did and we were told to cut the tree as we were before. The difference however was that the wood would go to her ("except for the trashy limbs".

So we continued cutting. But that was not east either as the tree turned out to be quite the challenge. Anne and Carrie did an amazing job cutting branches from the roof. It is not completely donw, but the majority is and we will all always remember the day!

More on the tree tomorrow.